Almost
by Chelbi
Summary: A songfic to "Almost" by Bowling For Soup. Pairing is MelloxMatt. Matt thinks about what he almost had.


Almost

**A/N: So this is what happens when you get a song I haven't heard for a while stuck in my head and stick me in a Spanish class that bores the hell out of me. Then stick me in an English class that also bores the hell out of me but has a much more attentive teacher and you get the rushed ending. Hehe. So I actually like this, the ending's a bit rushed, but I couldn't figure out how to end it so I just did that. Anyway, enough of me ranting. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it?**

_I almost got drunk at school at 14_

_Where I almost made out with the homecoming queen_

_Who almost went on to be Miss Texas_

_But lost to a slut with much bigger breastes_

_I almost dropped out to move to L.A._

_Where I was almost famous for almost a day_

I totally forgot I had this. This box that I'd thrown countless pictures and really odd things in to remember the times at Whammy's.

I flipped the lid off and pulled out the first thing I saw: an empty glass bottle. It was from that first time I got drunk when I was 14. I put the bottle aside and picked up a rolled piece of paper, opening it to find a poorly-detailed plan of what to do after we left. He'd suggested L.A. Why not, plenty of crimes to solve. I picked up the picture that had fallen out of the plan and there he was, smirking at me like he always did.

Mello.

_And I almost had you_

_But I guess that doesn't cut it_

_Almost loved you_

_I almost wish you would've loved me too._

I honestly thought he loved me. Hell, maybe he did. It was hard to tell with him, but that never upset me. If he was happy, so was I, so it never mattered.

It would have been nice to know, though.

I looked back at the picture and tried to remember when it was taken. I can't remember, but we both look about 15 or 16, so it must have been right before he left. I didn't know he was getting ready to leave, so I'm grinning, trying to get out of the headlock he's got me in. Of course, I made no progress; his hand's still tightly wound in my red hair.

But that's just Mello--he liked to play rough.

_I almost got popped for a fight with a thug_

_Cause he almost made off with a bunch of the drugs_

_That I almost got hooked on cause you ran away_

_And I wish I would've had the nerve to ask you to stay_

I set the picture aside and dug through the box, tossing odds and ends out of it. It's either much bigger than I thought or I'm really good at cramming lots of stuff into small places.

My fingers brushed against something familiar and I latched onto the object, pulling out a flattened cigarette carton. I smiled; I'd gotten into a huge fight with some other guy because it was the last carton the store had and neither of us wanted to walk a block to get a pack.

Mello leaving was probably the first thing that led me to smoke. I don't know why: it was just another thing to focus on besides my video games. Maybe I was trying to fill the gap he left behind. If that was the reason, it didn't work.

_Here I go thinking 'bout all the things I could've done_

_I'm gonna need a forklift cause all the baggage weighs a ton_

_I know we had our problems_

_I can't remember one_

I guess I should have known he'd leave eventually. Maybe I hoped he'd take me with him. Maybe I should have followed him.

I could have done so much more.

Thinking about it now made no sense; it wasn't like I could go back and try again until things worked out the way I wanted them to. Besides, maybe Mello had a good reason for leaving me behind. Maybe--

BZZT.

_And I almost had you_

_But I guess that doesn't cut it_

_Almost loved you, and I didn't even know it_

_You kept me guessing and now I'm destined to spend my time missing you_

I pushed the box away and dug through my pockets to find my cell phone, vibrating madly. I found it and flipped it open without checking who it was. "Hello?"

"Hey, Mattie-boy." I could've screamed. I almost did. I looked at the caller ID and read the number twice before it sunk in.

"Hey, Mel."

"You want to come help me catch Kira?" I heard the 'before Near' he added mentally.

"Yea!"

_I almost wish you would've loved me too._

-fin-


End file.
